Friday, March 12, 2010

I was disappointed to read that Manny Ramirez enjoyed some shark's fin soup while in Taiwan. While shark's fin soup is a traditional Chinese dish and, yes, it is tasty, it's not difficult to give up once you see how it's made. Basically they cut the fins off and throw the rest of the shark back in the ocean. From Stop Shark Finning:

Every year tens of millions of sharks die a slow death because of finning. Finning is the inhumane practice of hacking off the shark's fins and throwing its still living body back into the sea. The sharks either starve to death, are eaten alive by other fish, or drown (if they are not in constant movement their gills cannot extract oxygen from the water). Shark fins are being "harvested" in ever greater numbers to feed the growing demand for shark fin soup, an Asian "delicacy".

Not only is the finning of sharks barbaric, but their indiscriminate slaughter at an unsustainable rate is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s the populations of several species have been decimated by over 95%.

Ok Orel, as we say in the south “you’ve got me all riled up”. Those that know me know I have a great love for animals and am extremely passionate about animal causes. All species serve a purpose and help to balance our ecosystem. Sadly there are many animals that are disappearing at alarming rates due to habitat encroachment and man’s endless desire for skins, parts, and “delicacies”. One thing we can do is to stop indulging in harmful practices and try to educate others. My hope is that it is not too late for many species.

Thanks for doing your part and drawing attention to this barbaric practice.